Some marketing genius somewhere declared today #ForceFriday. There is a ton of #StarWars stuff on Amazon today, but I won’t be getting any Star Wars Disney Infinity products. Instead, I just ordered some books!
I used to love reading the Star Wars books when I was in school. Now I know what you must be thinking, ‘but Grady you’re such a cool guy, how can you be a Star Wars nerd?’ It baffles me too, but I totally am! I have probably read over twenty books. Then in 2000 the New Jedi Order Books came about and about another twenty books were released in a three-year span. Two of those years were during my mission and, although I read a few of the books when I got home, I eventually got overwhelmed and gave up.
Now we al have been given a second chance! Disney has wiped the Expanded Universe Slate clean and today we have some new books to prepare us for Star Wars Episode VII. Lucasfilm is calling the series “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” I want to share each of them with you and the brief synopsis.
The Novels
Lost Stars (32-36 Years After the Battle of Yavin): The reign of the Galactic Empire has reached the Outer Rim planet of Jelucan, where aristocratic Thane Kyrell and rural villager Ciena Ree bond over their love of flying. Enrolling at the Imperial Academy together to become fighter pilots for the glorious Empire is nothing less than a dream come true for the both of them. But Thane sours on the dream when he sees firsthand the horrific tactics the Empire uses to maintain its ironclad rule.Bitter and disillusioned, Thane joins the fledgling Rebellion—putting Ciena in an unbearable position to choose between her loyalty to the Empire and her love for the man she’s known since childhood.
Now on opposite sides of the war, will these friends turned foes find a way to be together, or will duty tear them—and the galaxy—apart?
Aftermath (36 Years After the Battle of Yavin): As the Empire reels from its critical defeats at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance—now a fledgling New Republic—presses its advantage by hunting down the enemy’s scattered forces before they can regroup and retaliate. But above the remote planet Akiva, an ominous show of the enemy’s strength is unfolding. Out on a lone reconnaissance mission, pilot Wedge Antilles watches Imperial Star Destroyers gather like birds of prey circling for a kill, but is taken captive before he can report back to the New Republic leaders.
Meanwhile, on the planet’s surface, former Rebel fighter Norra Wexley has returned to her native world—war weary, ready to reunite with her estranged son, and eager to build a new life in some distant place. But when Norra intercepts Wedge Antilles’s urgent distress call, she realizes her time as a freedom fighter is not yet over. What she doesn’t know is just how close the enemy is—or how decisive and dangerous her new mission will be.
Determined to preserve the Empire’s power, the surviving Imperial elite are converging on Akiva for a top-secret emergency summit—to consolidate their forces and rally for a counterstrike. But they haven’t reckoned on the [sic] Norra and her newfound allies—her technical genius son, a Zabrak bounty hunter, and a reprobate Imperial defector—who are prepared to do whatever they must to end the Empire’s oppressive reign once and for all.
Young Reader Books
The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure: In this story, set between Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke finds himself drawn to a mysterious planet, where he must use the Force to save a young girl—and survive in a dangerous duel against a strange new villain.
Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure: Han Solo and Chewbacca return in an all-new adventure! In this story, set between Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Han and Chewie must fly the Millennium Falcon on a top-secret mission for the Rebellion, while evading ruthless bounty hunters and a relentless Imperial agent.
Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure: Princess Leia returns in an all-new adventure! In this story, set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia must lead a ragtag group of rebels on a treacherous decoy mission against the evil Galactic Empire.
I love that Star Wars has re-emerged into the limelight again. My son and I have been reading some of the other Star Ward books and we can’t wait for these. We have them shipping my my parent’s house since Amazon does free same say shipping when you order all these books as a Prime Member. I think I will have to splurge and get the audiobook for Star Wars: Aftermath. There are sound effects and very dramatic reading. It is almost like a radio show.
How are you getting ready for Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
